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Well I had my first unfill. Since my last fill on 2/10/10 where I got .4 ccs in my band - I've been STRUGGLING. I would go for days where I could barely keep anything down. At first it was mostly just the morning and early afternoon - but usually by late evening I could eat. I figured I was just getting used the the band and I was losing weight like CRAZY! My thought process was, losing weigh so quickly my band would quickly become loose and thus I just need to wait out the tightness of the band. I tried to just stick to soups, Hot tea, water, but it got to the point where I could keep down nothing and was throwing up 5 to sometimes 9 or 10 times a day. I started waking up in the middle of the night coughing up stomach acid. I read about throwing up so much causing acid reflux - with this information and going 4 straight days not keep ANYTHING down I knew that I needed an unfil :-( . So I called my doc. He got me in this past Saturday. In just over 2 weeks I had lost 14 lbs ! I lose about 5-8 lbs a month so I was floored with the 14 lbs. My doc unfilled me 6 whole CC's - to put this in perspective my last two fills I got .4 ccs each time. 6 CCS removed takes me back down to about 6 months post surgery and since thens I've lost like 40 lbs so that impacts it as well. My doc said that I needed to rest a bit - he said I will be able to eat like normal so I need to be careful. I dread gaining any of these 14 lbs loss - I needed that burst! It brought me under 300 lbs which was definitely a milestone. He's going to have me back in in 9 days for a fill and I can't imagine gaining too much in those few days - but the idea of water weight scares me. I will be okay with no more than 4 lbs - I'll be sad for any more than that. Don't want to get back to over 300 - NEVER AGAIN. I ate pretty sparingly today and yesterday. I did kinda test my band today and was happy with the result - I can't eat like "normal". I ate 1/2 of a burger - and a little dessert. Normal would have been to eat the whole burger, and all of the dessert plus 3-4 glasses of strawberry lemonade (I had water :rolleyes2:). It was interesting though - I've become used to eating so little food that I forgot about how heavy your stomach feels after eating. A cup or so of food does not feel heavy but 2 or 3 cups can really weigh right on your midsection - never really noticed that before. So, we'll see how this goes :thumbup:. Wish me luck!

I have 185 to lose. I am not entirely sure the sleeve is the best option. I felt like it was, because weight loss was slower, therefore less loose skin hopefully. But I don't know if 185 lbs seems unrealistic with the sleeve.

Look at those loose pants ! You look amazing !

I may not be the one to ask because I kind of have my own program. 1 frapachinno in the morning 1 multivitiman salad and alvacado (small) for lunch tortillia chips and salsa for supper And a lot of cheese I have done this for the last eight months almost everyday. Maybe not in the same order. I did start loosing some hair, so I started drinking a protien supplement. Thank you for all the support.

WOW! Kaiser sounds awesome!!! I've already started saving for the various skin de-sagging surgeries I might need (OK want) to have.

I've never been good at keeping up with a journal..........nothing has changed. My highest weight was 265. On surgery day I was 261. My lowest now has been 194. 70 pounds. Wow! The beauty of it is that it won't come back. I will never go over 200 again. I always said that when on previous diets and in the blink of an eye I would be back up there and beyone. Unless, God forbid, something goes wrong with my band I will not gain again. I had an unfill a couple days after Christmas and I've gained a couple pounds. I feel almost wide open and have been eating all kinds of crap. I am going back tomorrow for another fill. I want just a small one. The last one was bad and all the stress of David being in the hospital was a nightmare. I lost lots of weight but I also nearly lost my sanity. The lack of vitamins, protein, etc caused nasty things. My nails are a mess, my hair is dull, dry and lifeless. My skin is dull and has no elasticity. That may just be an age thing and I will live with it if I have to. I am wearing size 14 jeans and while I am not exercising, I still feel better than I've felt in years. I can breathe so much better. I don't wet my pants with the least exertion. It's all good. I want to go on to 150 if I can. I'm not desparate to lose now. I am not yet happy with my looks but I am so much improved. I can't imagine myself at 150. It would be cool just to see how I look. Later.........

Some of you know how much I'm struggling to do and eat the right food and the right amounts. Having said that I HAVE FAILED. I am horrible. I don't think I'll ever be able to loose all my extra weight. I feel like I can eat too much! why? shouldn't my stomach be smaller than before my vsg?? for breakfast I can eat a morning start veggie pattie and about an egg. Lunch is usually chicken or fish, about 3 oz and some veggies, but then an hour later I'm hungry again!!! I eat some cheese, or carrots, or whatever I see. These last couple of days have been the worst. I had a bite of cake, pizza, rice, a cookie... I CAN'T STOP!! what is wrong with me! I do feel full many times, but I can't fight with the inner me that tells me to keep eating! and I eventually feel sick because I am so full! I am afraid that I will end up stretching my sleeve and everything I've done will be thrown out of the window. Has anyone out there tried hypnosis?? I've heard that for some people works.... I just don't know what to do anymore. I plan my meals every night and I pack my healthy lunch, but when I get home from work I eat and make up for the whole day! I'm afraid I won't be a big looser!

I set my goal for 125 then decided I want to be 110 I'm currently 124 so I'm very near my goal weight but with out trying hard I feel I'm starting to become thin. I feel great but I never been this small so it's shocking everyone that see me. I know when I have plastic surgery I will be thinner all the tummy fat & skin arm skin & w.e. else will be like 10 pounds less. That's for 2014 let's see what happens. I don't want to be a skeleton neither or size 0 but if I become size 0 it's ok as long as I don't look like anorexia.

I can answer for myself only ,but yes i can feel my port through my skin, i do still enjoy dinner out once a week as we have always done. I try not to eat things i am not supposed to but eventually we all try something and you will either have a problem or not...for me under no circumstances can I have any kind of bread...yes i have tried on 3 different occasions(glutton for punishment i guess) and every time it got stuck and i was in a lot of pain till it finally came up, i can honestly say after 3 tries i will not be trying that again! if you over eat you can get sick or just feel really bad from being too full both are not things i like to do. good luck to you I hope i was of some help.

I travel a lot with my husband and the main thing I am worried about is being able to eat something while we are at dinner so I don't just sit there while he is eating 2 courses like we both usually do. I have 40 lbs to lose so I am going to tell the doctor to make my band loose because I don't care how long it takes me to lose would rather have a more normal diet and it take longer than not be able to eat anything at all during our travels. I have read where some people can eat pretty normally right after surgery and some people can't eat a thing or drink anything - that sounds like the band must be too tight - it is very confusing - I realize people are different so I guess that is why there are so many different experiences.

I love my band and wouldn't won't to ever loose it and haven't had any problems to speak of so I guess just getting to your sweet spot fill wise would be the only thing I've not liked, but I'm there now and it's heavenly.

I think it is just taking a little time for your body to adjust. I am sure you are feeling the difference in your clothes. The scale can be our enemy sometimes. Just remember, it took you a while to gain the weight thus it may take sometime to loose it's this is not a race, it's a lifestyle.

Hi All, I was banded in 2011 and it was a move that everybody in my family was against, I started to lose the weight and was very happy, reached my ''initial'' goal within a year and was very happy... Had a little bit of extra skin as I was too scared to work out. During this year, I was lucky enough to get my entire family living in the same city as myself, and we ALL enjoy food so much, so any gathering with parents, brother, and sister meant food, food, and more food. I was eating good portions, and had started to take my band for granted, forgetting about the rules of of not eating too fast or drinking and eating at the same time Anyways, my troubles started about 6 months ago, when I was under a tremendous amount of pressure at work, and at home as my husband had to travel and we'd be separated for a whole year... lots of stress and angry days and nights starting causing me pain the upper part of my stomach (which is normal for me even before the band)... Started getting stuck more often, but it would come and go as sometimes I would be able to eat very well, and other times it would be a hassle... didn't really do anything about it, then started to get acid reflex, and continued to ignore things.. Then I had a 1cc unfill, but the symptoms continued, and i continued to ignore them... things were getting worse, and i started to cough at night, eating became a nightmare, and I started resorting more to fluids thinking it is probably stress and will be better soon. Lately things were way worse and I felt like i had it, so I went for an endoscopy (which is covered by my insurance) and was told that probably the pouch above the band is dilated and I must see my surgeon (whom I no longer live in the same country as) Anyways, I went to the surgeon whom I was doing all the follow up with, and he jumped directly into conclusions saying I must remove the band..... I panicked and cried, so he said then you can do an xray. The report of the xray Dr. came good, saying there is no slip and the band is ok, but the surgeon said that there IS a minor slip that the dr. missed and he unfilled me completely and asked me to go on a liquid diet for a month, then if the xray showed no improvement then I would have to remove the band. I am completely shocked, and so so so so worried… I have paid for this from my own money and removing the band would cost a fortune, let alone the other factor which is weight gain… I am completely lost and feel like it is the literary the end of the world…. Any help or similar experiences or links to videos or articles would be AMAZING…. I can’t seem to find anything other than the horrible stories online. I also need some thoughts on the liquid diet, can drink fruits and veggies smoothies? Grinded veggies and meat Soup? What are the things to stay away from (band safety wise not weight gain wise)? And would I be able to eat any mushies? Or is it liquids only? Thank you so much for any help or reply that you might leave…. Appreciate it like you can’t imagine.

Hello..I go for my free seminar Monday..I've done my homework with insurance, preparing other drs notes and medical records etc. so I'm set to go after my seminar for my consultation. One concern I have is how much weight is expected during the first few months after the surgery? I struggle with doing a diet and no results as do many and I don't want to get discouraged or feel hopeless if I don't loose a lot during the first few months. Is it espected that you will loose 60-80 during your first year? Thanks

I eat baked chicken all the time. I do add salsa or veggie spaghetti sauce. I have BBQ chicken breast on occasion. 3 oz no skin. Yes I do weigh all protein.

I have this issue, but I haven't figured out how to love myself with it... I'm actually not at my goal weight yet, but feel like my excess skin on my tighs, hips, and tummy could be part of that... Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

I am almost 4 years out and I lost my weight very fast!! I lost 132#'s in 6 months. Because I had stricturres and needed 5 endoscopes with 4 dialations with a ballon. It started right after my RNY, I got to where I couldn't even hold down water. This started in Nov of 2013 with my last endo dialation on Jan of 2015. Strictures are like scar tissue that closes your opening so nothing gets in or it takes a long time to go down. It felt like the food or water would sit on the top of my pouch and then went down slowly. Only to make me vomit it all back up. So I developed a Food Adversion, because I was so afraid to eat. I lived on Oatmeal, Baby Bell cheese and Cheeto's!! Which my Dr knew about the whole time. I was told that if I had to eat whatever it took to nourish my body. But up side of this is I am great!! I have finally been able to branch out at what I can eat beleive me. LOL Not one Counselor knew what to do. The one I went here in my town didn't have a clue of what to do with me. Finally, I called my Surgeon who set me up with a Bariatric Counselor. But I didn't like her anwsers. She wanted me to eat every 1/2 hour that I was awake. She had me buy BOOST High Calorie junk!! I was so frustrated!! I told my hubby that I just traded one eating disorder for another. Now for the good stuff here are my stats: HW 249 (this time I had lost down from 285's) SW 232 LW 117 CW 125'#. So I have maintained my 124# loss for 3 and 1/2 years. I really don't know if my quick weight was a probem with my skin issues or if it is my age because I had lost 135#'s during one of my ups and down dieting. I didn't have any skin issue then but I was 52 and very very sick at that time. I have had a Panni done in Sept of 2015. They removed 10 plus pounds off my lower stomach. Now thats another story. LOL Sorry that I wrote a book. I just have lots to say!! You should meet me in real life. My hubby threatened to buy a Chastity belt for my mouth. LOL When we were first married. LOL Those memories just pop up sometimes. Any how have a great Sunday. Congraulations on your journey. Look forward t following it.

Today I thought I would try to post some before pictures on the website. Looking through all my pictures, it was near impossible to find any of myself. And certainly very few posed pictures. Only ones that I hadn't wanted taken... It makes me so sad. To see all my friends take family photos. (We haven't taken one in five years) To see them post pictures on FB of kids and moms together on the first day of school, knowing I would *never* do that. But, Who am I kidding?? I walk around all the time, people can clearly *see* how big I am. It is no secret. But still how I hate to see myself in pictures. And the reason is -- It is my reality, I can't pretend I "am not so big" when I look at these pictures. It hurts so much to see the pictures, to know that is what I look like when I *feel* so different. So normal. So regular. But I am not. I am so very big. But I have never felt that big, I have always felt fairly comfortable in my skin. Well, for most of my life, until I gained enormous amounts of weight after having my first son. And I tried so hard to lose it. But then I was pregnant again...And again... and even though I worked hard to only gain 15 pounds with my second and third pregnancies, I was never able to break 200 pounds again. I haven't weighed under 200 pounds since 2003. That is my first goal. To weigh 200 pounds on Valentines Day. I am not sure if this is realistic or not. about 20 pounds or so in 6 weeks. But I am hopeful for it. I am so hopeful for this change and this chance at a new life for me and for my family.

So I will be 5 months out on the 21st. I am down 70lbs from the day of surgery and at another stall.. 2nd one in the past 2 months.. I know they happen, and I know the scale will move again, I just wish it would start moving NOW!! I am able to eat more then I was a month ago "way more" However I am still getting in around 900-1000 calories a day. I still start with my meat first and if I am able to eat it all with out my full signal I move on to my greens. Usually after a couple of bites I am finished.. Where as a month ago I was barely able to get down 1/4 of a chicken breast.. I did have complications "leak, pneumonia, etc." and that did put me behind where I should have been at. So maybe eating as much as I'm eating now is normal who knows.. I just know this stall thing stinks!!! Loosing another pants size is a plus!! I just want to see the sale move again!!

Okay I think I'm getting a complex. I had 4cc my first visit and 2cc my second in my realize band. My last fill of .5cc was like 2 months ago and I follow up on the 14th. My doctor did not want to give me that little .5cc fill because of my weight loss but I conned him into it I'm to the point where I continue to lose weight but it's so iffy.. I got stuck at 217 for what feeled like FOREVER!!! I have lost 15 pounds in the past 6 weeks but I still can sit and eat a whole pork chop and a half can of green beans when I sit down and eat and be fine...I dont feel full and some days its all I have not to go back for seconds...I DON"T though! I know alot of this is mind over matter but I'm just wondering if you really think its okay to eat this way, be loosing weight and still not be in a green zone. I want to get to the point where my band says I WISH YOU WOULD TAKE THAT LAST BITE AND SEE WHAT I'LL DO TO YOU. So frustrating. I really feel like I want to push for a full CC next week but I just know how my doctor is and he will say "whats the point you're still loosing weight and I don't want you throwing up..slow and steady now". Thoughts?

As you can see results vary. My personal experience has been that I lost a lot of weight presurgery (50 lbs in 7.5 months presurgery). After surgery I have been a slow loser averaging 1 pound a week, even though I am very strict about my diet and do an hour of cardio every day. I just have reached restriction, six months out. I think some people start losing faster once they hit restriction. I'm hoping that will be true for me. I guess the moral of the story is you should prepare yourself that you may be a 1-2 pounds a week person. That way you won't be disappointed if that happens. I see many people on here that are very upset that they are'nt loosing 5 pounds a week.

I'm in Florida and only have medicare (not medicaid) and can tell you that they do not cover plastic surgery for skin removal. I think (don't know for a fact) that if you document together with your GP and Plastic surgeon that you are suffering from rashes and other skin disease issues that there's a possible case for plastics in that instance.

I too have just hired Walter Lindstrom after his being recommended by someone who he helped. I am so upset at the post concerning his help, and do not want to loose more money. I paid $22,200 to be banded last August, after being turned down by GHI and United HealthCare in NYC. The attorney seemed so good and his website is impressive, but I am not sure now. Anyone with positive experience with him and / or his wife, please let me know. I cannot stop thinking about this. Bless all of you for your continued support and inspiration. We are a lucky group of people. I have been a devoted reader but clouded due to a son's severe drug problem, and my using my life savings to help him. I am sorry to vent, but need your support. Be well. Fran

I've had one incision that hasn't really healed right. It healed more like a puncture than a cut (which takes longer) and it's been seeping the entire time (It's been 3months since my surgery). Well the last couple weeks the would has finally closed up and looks like it's healing but the skin aroudn it is starting to get red and itchy and errupting. SO I think I may have gotten an infection, that or there's something in the wound that is stuck and won't let it heal right. Did anyone else have something like this?

Since day ONE of my LapBand surgery (5/11/05), I've been having problems... at first I couldn't swallow spit. They took a Barium Floro and found my esophagus was bulging. The remedy was not drinking anything and walk, walk, walk. It worked but I still have issues. I have a feeling I have reactive esophagus type problems, similar to reactive airway disease (which I believe I also have as an asthmatic). I was wondering if anyone else has had similar symptoms and, if were checked out by a doctor, what the issue was... Here I go... - Sometimes ... and then other times ... A small sip of hot tea gets stuck (like right now) and I gurgle for hours - nothing seems to unstick it. Then I can eat a whole pizza with the crust and no problems! Then nothing goes down at all but liquids in very small quantities. When I get hungry (physically) I resort to eating chocolate, which unfortunately goes down real smooth... sigh... then I have no problem getting down extreemely small bites of half of a cheese sandwich on high Fiber bread, but it can take over an hour to finish half the sandwich... The most frustrating thing is... I'm only loosing 1 1/2 pounds a MONTH! Grrr! I sure would appreciate any feedback from anyone that has experienced these symptoms and has found a resolution for them. By the way... yes, when I can finally get things down (usually a LOT later in the day) I drink at least 60-80 oz of distilled Water a day and take liquid vitamines in some of that water... and no, I'm not walking enough... but do spend the enitre day on my feet at work, walking, not sitting - ever. Yes, I've had a few fills – and then all the fill taken out when all at once I couldn't swallow spit for 2 days. Two weeks later it was filled again with a very small quantity and I've been in this place ever since then. So annoying! For all of you that haven't had the band installed... truthfully, I'd still have the band installed. I consider it a "speed bump" - no more “binge eating” or “wolfing” food for me... At least I'm down 1.5 pounds per month rather than up and I actually can shop in the petit department, even though I'm on the high side of the rack.